We Are Ronins
by RaeOfHearts
Summary: Tony has been friends with the mild mannered scientist since his days at MIT. Rowen Hashiba has been keeping Tony Stark out of trouble for just as long but when Ro has a heart attack at his 39th birthday party, Tony realizes that the man may be more than he seems. Especially, when mystical armored beings show up to kill his long time friend. Can Rowen keep his past to himself?
1. Prologue

We Are Ronins

 **So, I'm rewriting We Are Ronins, because I really wanted to write what a grown up Rowen would be like in the Marvel Universe since he's only three years younger than Tony Stark. XD No real pairings, although I still ship Steve X Kayura, unless someone mentions something that I might find adorable. I might turn this into a strip on my deviantart page, so feed back is very much appreciated! I don't anything, duh, but I sure as hell I wish I did! Oh, and shout out to Okami Princess for being beta-ing this for me! :D**

Prologue

Rowen looked at Tony, "hountoni deskuka?"

"What, you don't like it?" The man asked as the metal mask slid open to reveal his surprised face. Rowen had a tendency to revert to Japanese when he thought that he was doing something dumb. The Iron Man armor, in Rowen's opinion, was both an eyesore and a significant problem. It could fly, shoot laser beams, and was pretty much impervious. It was a big problem in the grand scheme of the modern warfare, especially, with the man who was 'king' of warfare had decided that he wouldn't make weapons anymore would build the most advanced weapon out there. Hypocritical. Naive and foolish.

"So you couldn't pick a better name," he asked.

Tony started to the mechanism that helped unlatch the pieces as he walked towards the man who was only three years junior, who looked like half of his age. Rowen was taller than he was, and lanky, with sharper features but it was his strange cerulean blue hair that made the Japanese man stand out. Tony had been convinced for years that it was dyed until one time he plucked a hair from his friend's head to put it under a microscope to find it was indeed blue. He asked, "Titanium Man didn't sound as metal."

Rowen rubbed his hand under his glasses and pinched his nose briefly. Of course, he chose the name based on music preference. He remembered many nights waking up in the lab to Tony cranking out some sort dregs that he considered an American music masterpiece. It was probably based on the Black Sabbath Song of the same name. Why didn't he think of that in the first place? He looked at the man who was a bit stockier than he was with dark hair and eyes. He had impeccably groomed hair and goatee and wore denim pants and a shirt that had some sort of American metal band on it. Tony had a vast collection of t-shirts with bands on them. Any normal person who have made some sort of integration suit. Of course, he prioritized comfort and style over everything else. He sighed as he asked the obvious follow-up question, "So, do I get to see it?"

Tony asked, trying not to smirk, "See what?"

Rowen rolled his eyes, "You really don't think Rhodey didn't tell me about the miniature arc reactor in your chest?"

"Well, now that's a matter of how nicely you ask."

Rowen didn't like when the man played with him and walked over to him. Tony had a tendency to underestimate him for whatever reason. Of course, Tony didn't really know his past as completely as he thought he did. He grabbed the man lightly and pulled him back to face him while yanking his shirt up. Tony pretended to squeal like a little girl, "Oh, Mr. Hashiba, if you wanted to be that way with me, you should have said something."

Rowen glared at him and saw the glowing piece in the middle of the man's chest. It glowed with a light that looked so familiar to him, but he didn't say anything. He crossed his arms, "Father, doesn't want me to work for you anymore."

"You still listen to your Dad?"

Rowen narrowed his eyes at the sound of shock in his voice, "Says you're a bad influence."

"Oh, I'm the worst!" He grinned ear to ear. Rowen had been disobeying his father on a regular basis since they started being friends. Tony was pleasantly pleased about that whenever he heard Genichirou was displeased. If there was anyone who reminded him too much of his own father, it was Rowen's. Probably why their dads couldn't stand each other once upon a time. "Technically, you're not working for me anymore."

"I'm not, did you fire me again as a prank?"

"No, I turned the company over to Pepper." He said as he grabbed the soldering iron from his tool kit. "Your Dad can't complain about me now."

"I'm sure he'll find a way," Rowen laughed as he walked around the metal suit. It was strange the memories it brought back and he felt like he went quiet for a long time.

Tony noticed Rowen looking the suit over, and he wondered why he suddenly went so quiet looking at the machine. He had known the man a long time and sometimes he went quiet like this. These moments, Tony had learned the hard way several times, it was best if he left the man alone. One time he had interrupted and Rowen slugged him. Despite how gangly and lean the man looked, he had one hell of a punch. Tony saw Rowen snap out of his trance, "How was Pluto?"

Rowen smirked, "Look, be careful okay? I don't want to have to write any eulogies."

Tony sighed and waved him off, "Nah. I perfected the freezing problem in phase two."

Rowen just looked sad, "if you need me for anything. Let me know. I don't want you to think you're in this alone."

"I know, Robro," he grinned. "Between you and Rhodey, I won't get a scratch."

Rowen nodded again and crossed his arms, "Anyways, I have dinner plans with an old friend..."

"Ooooh, is it Sage again," Tony teased and Rowen just sighed with a silent nod before leaving the garage. He wondered about the man sometimes, and wondered how come he was so melancholic all the time before he went to work on a servo that was a little glitchy. He glanced up and saw Rowen looking back sadly at him from the top of the staircase just as Pepper descended them to come bother him about something.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 **Squeek! How is everyone! Please review!**

(2012)

"Do you trust me?"

"No."

"Come on. Don't you like surprises, spoil sport?"

"Your variety of surprises? No."

"You liked the girls that I left for you at that NYE party, right?"

"One was a junkie, and I think the other was a man, Tony."

He just laughed as he pushed him along into the loft area, his hands were over his eyes still as they walked into the center of the room. He pulled them free, "Tadah!"

Rowen looked around and saw that Tower had been nearly put the floor back together since it had been ripped apart by the Chitauri. He looked at Tony and crossed his arms, "This is it?"

Tony pranced over to the bar and hugged his espresso machine, "Isn't she beautiful?"

Rowen turned around, "If that's it, I'm going to go back to my research. That hole in the sky really gave me some valuable data..."

"Oh! One more thing," he said as the elevator opened and several people came through. He recognized them as the Avengers who graced every tabloid and newspaper cover in the US at the moment. Although they didn't look nearly as heroic or fearsome without their suits. Tony beamed, "Happy Birthday, dude!"

Rowen raised a brow as he cursed, "Kuso... Did I forget it again?"

"For like the twentieth year in a row, Robro."

A mousy looking man sighed, "You mean you threw a surprise party for someone who forgot their birthday?"

"I have tendency to do that," Rowen said as the group set down snacks and drinks at the bar. "Sorry, don't think we've met."

The man smiled softly and held out a hand, "I'm sure you don't recognize me..."

Tony snorted but Rowen ignored him as he shook his hand, "Dr. Rowen Hashiba."

"Your work on molecular elasticity was brilliant," the man grinned. "Dr. Bruce Banner."

"Rowen turned to Tony but lost his words and Tony hugged the mousy man, "The one and the same!"

"Your work on gamma radiation is absolutely brilliant," Rowen said grabbing the man's hand and shaking it again. "Wow, you disappeared off the map."

"I had my reasons," he said and Tony saw Rowen match his look strangely.

Tony grabbed Rowen in a light choke hold like a child who was too excited for his friends from one grade meeting his friends from another grade. Rowen tried to shove him off as Dr. Banner laughed softly following him to the bar, and Tony introduced, "Robro meet the Avengers! Avengers, meet Robro!"

Rowen shoved him off and bowed, "Konbanwa."

"You didn't say he was Rowen Hashiba," the man with sandy hair complained. He was slightly taller than Tony with square features and brown eyes. Although he wore baggy, modest clothing, Rowen could see he was Hawkeye. An archer like himself...

Rowen smiled and rubbed the back of his head bashfully, "yes, well..."

The woman with red haired unpacked the beers into a mini fridge, "He's the only genius that Tony knows that hasn't tried to kill him...yet."

Rowen remembered that the woman had been Pepper's 'secretary' a few years ago. Now, he knew that the she wasn't anything of the sort, "We've met.. right...?"

"Natasha," she smiled darkly. It was a fake smile, he realized. Something, that he knew how to do too well himself. She laid a hand on the man who had spoken before her, "This is Clint."

Rowen nodded, "Pleasure."

"You wouldn't happen to be the grandson of Takeshi Hashiba," the blonde man who had been quietly opening the box that Rowen assumed had a cake in it. Rowen knew that it was Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, because everyone knew who the prolific man was.

Rowen felt his mouth go dry, "Yes, he's my grandfather."

"I didn't know him, but I knew of the brilliant code breaker from Japan who could crack anything for the US," he said with a smirk. "Is he well?"

Rowen nodded, "more, or less. He runs a shrine in Sendai."

Tony caught Rowen's look of admiration, "Don't, just don't."

"Nani?" He asked of the man. For whatever reason, Tony assumed that he was gay. He wasn't, but he could see why Tony assumed he was. Rowen had never been interested in women much since he left Japan. It wasn't that he didn't like them, of course he found himself looking at the right ones from time to time, but none seemed to catch his attention or he theirs. Dates always went badly. Tony never knew of these, just the visits he paid to Sage in the Bronx, and for whatever reason Tony assumed they were an item. Why did Rowen never bring up they weren't? He didn't want Tony digging into his past, plain and simple. If he gave the man any idea that there was something from his youth that he wanted to keep covered... he would never hear the end of it. He was content with being a simple researcher at Stark Industries, able to conduct his research without interruption, and his past would be a hindrance to that. It always was.

Tony grabbed one of the cold beers from Nat's hand, popped it open and shoved it in Rowen's hand. He then said, "To the big thirty nine! You better not forget forty!"

Rowen smirked, "yes, Tony."

They all shared a laugh with their salute as Tony dragged the man aside, "So?"

"So, what?"

"What do you think?"

"Of?"

Tony sighed, "Of the crew."

"They're nice," Rowen nodded sipping the beer. "What did you expect me to think?"

"I thought you would disapprove."

Rowen shook his head, "I disapproved of the Avengers initiative initially because you aren't exactly a team player."

"Ouch."

"...but I realized, it just takes the right sort of team," Rowen finished and Tony saw the melancholy return to his expression. "I'm just sad Rhodey didn't get a part in your club."

"He does his own thing," Tony snorted. "I'm glad you got to meet Banner, aren't you curious...?"

"He's the foremost expert in Gamma radiation and biology, it doesn't take an expert to figure out that he's the green guy," Rowen laughed. "Where's the other one?"

"Blondie had to take Reindeer Games back to Asgard," Tony said with a shake of his head. "It's as ridiculous as it sounds."

"It was strange the look Rowen had for a moment, it was almost like he was a different person. Something cold burned in his eyes momentarily before he said with a smile, "I would like to meet him."

"Let me get you a piece of cake," his boss said before stepping away towards the bar.

Bruce said, "What did you say to him?"

Tony glanced back and saw Rowen walk outside to the reconstructed balcony. He frowned, "He's always been like that."

Clint said, "Are you sure you don't smother him like Bruce? I mean, the only difference would be is that he wouldn't turn green on you."

Bruce nodded, "You do have a tendency to persist."

"Is it pick on Tony day?"

"No, he's always been like that," Natasha said. "I mean, when I was Pepper's secretary he acted pretty much the same."

Steve added, "You've known him for twenty years. I guess that's why you and Dr. Banner get along so well."

Bruce nodded and Tony frowned as Nat took the cake from his hand, "Isn't he an heir like you are? What's he doing working for you?"

"Same reason I didn't work for my dear old dad when he was alive." Tony griped noticing the look he got from Steve.

She nodded and didn't say more as she walked past the group of men to give the cake to the birthday boy. She knew more than enough about Tony's father issues that she could only guess what Rowen's were. The air was cool as she stepped out with the cake in her hand, Tony had cut a corner piece with a rose on it. Rowen was starring at the stars above his teal colored eyes, his blue hair gently wafting in the chilly New York air.

She said, "They look better from the mountains."

He turned to look at her, "yes, the light pollution is a terrible tragedy. Tony has no idea."

She smiled at the remark and leaned her back against the banister, "Tony is worried about you for some reason."

"Me? He guided a tactical nuclear missile into a portal yards above where we are now," he paused with a snort and the shake of the head. "He's worried about me? Seems ridiculous if you ask me."

"Despite the ass he is at times, he genuinely cares about the people he calls friends," she said handing him the cake. "and you seem like someone he admires very much."

Rowen just looked the red haired woman like she was crazy. She reminded him of another woman from his past, which was on his mind a lot as of late. So he had to ask, "For what reason do you think that is?"

She shook her head as she watched Tony laughing at something Steve might have said by mistake. Bruce also chuckled and Clint had a just a smirk. She then said, "He remembers your birthday when you can't seem to. That means something, right?"

He nodded and ran a hand through his messy hair. He smiled at her, "Guess you're not a secretary, huh?"

"Nope," she answered.

"So that date..." he asked.

"To establish my cover."

"I see..." he said with a tinge of disappointment to his voice. "I'll be back in in just a few. I have to clear something from my mind."

"Look, it wasn't anything personal."

"I didn't think it was."

"Oh," she said surprisingly.

Rowen closed his eyes as he watched the city. It had changed so much since he was a kid running through its dark alleys. Of course those alleys still existed, and the things that existed in the shadows of those alleys still existed as well but it wasn't his responsibility anymore. Not with them there. They may have been a nuisance, but they did a better job at saving New York than he could have imagined. He could relax now and be normal. Twenty years and he could finally be okay with being normal.

He took a bite of cake before deciding to walk back in. He smiled at Tony, shoving his worries aside, "This is really good..."

 _Ba-thump_

Rowen felt a pain in his chest cutting the sentence in half as his world swam for a moment. He gulped as Tony said with a smirk, "Don't choke on it, there's plenty..."

 _Ba-THUMP._

Rowen felt his chest grow tight and he lost his breath as he fell to his knees instantly. It was like someone was stepping on his chest squeezing him tight, and his vision swam. It went dark for a moment, but he could see Tony sliding to his side yelling his name as he grasped at his chest. Every nerve in his body burned as lost the strength in his limbs to keep himself up. He could see Natasha on her phone calling for an ambulance, and his eyes went dark again. He heard a faint familiar laughter and felt a searing pain through his side, as his vision went completely black...

" _Did you really think you could run from me, Suiko?"_

Rowen saw blood momentarily as every nerve lit on fire. He yelled out as he grasped at his chest for air. Why couldn't he just breathe? He felt a searing pain in his chest again, and the quiet solitude of darkness was the only reprieve from pain. He heard a whisper from the voice, _"Oh, Tenku, you are next..."_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 **Thank you Okami Princess! I hope you all enjoy! :)**

Steve looked at Tony who was pacing back in forth of the hospital lobby, "Did Doctor Cho pick up?"

"She says she can be on her way as soon as there's a diagnosis," Tony answered. He ran a hand through his hair, "I mean, Ro was in perfect health! He doesn't drink, smoke, anything...occasionally, he has a sweet tooth but a heart attack?"

Bruce walked in hearing his last words, "I know it seems improbable considering the circumstances..."

Tony clutched a hand tightly and then sat down next to Steve putting his face in his hands. Natasha sat next to the man and rubbed his back, "If he's anything like you, he'll be stubborn."

Clint decided to try and lighten the mood, "So how did you meet the guy?"

"I was his senior adviser at MIT. Honestly, he kept me out of more trouble than I got him into. Hell, before that it was Rhodey, but it was easy to give him the slip. Robro, not so much. I don't think I would have graduated due to focusing too much on my own projects if he hadn't locked me in the lab and stood guard until I finished my thesis paper."

Bruce smirked, "Not as mild-mannered as he seems then."

"Not at all, he's a pain in the ass at times."

Steve smirked, "That's what brothers do."

Tony scrunched his nose, "Say what?"

"Nothing, it's just that sometimes, there's that one person in your life who might as well be family because they care more about you as much, if not more than]your real family does." Steve said as they saw a doctor talking with nurses just outside the waiting room door. He seemed baffled and almost infuriated before telling the two get lost.

Tony looked up as the man walked in holding a chart, "Well...it seems that Mr. Hashiba is going to be fine."

The group of heroes had seen how blue Rowen had turned, it was shade pretty close to his own hair color, and Tony asked, "Say what?"

The man looked at his chart, "His EKG is fine. There are no proteins in his blood and his angiograph is absolutely normal. We've run every test multiple times, and we cannot come up with a conclusive reasoning for his chest pains other than maybe he had an allergic reaction, but he has no symptoms of that either."

Tony asked in shock, "Is he awake?"

"Yes, you can even go talk to him if you like." He said with an insincere smirk before walking away. "He's in the first room at the end of the hall."

Tony didn't even wait for his teammates to acknowledge what the doctor had just said before bursting into the ICU. He could see several nurses looking over charts and arguing with each other, but he paid them no mind as he opened the door. Rowen's room was empty except for the window being open to the outside. Tony heard the sound of chains rattling, and ran to the window to look out. He saw a large armored figure scaling the wall of the hospital and cursed as Steve came in saying, "Did we get the wrong room?"

Tony turned and pushed past him, sensing his urgency the two spies, super soldier, and the gamma radiation specialist followed the engineer. Suddenly, the lights when out, and every doctor and nurse seemed to vanish before their eyes. Clint seemed to be put on alert when this happened, and as Tony tried the elevator to no success, warily stated, "Well, that was weird." 

Bruce asked, "Tony, what's going on?"

Tony shrugged as he headed to the stairwell, "I don't know, but I saw some sort of armored thing scaling the hospital to the roof."

Nat sighed, "How did I know none of your friends could stay out of trouble? Rhodes has had his own suit highjacked twice by the bad guys while he was still in it, and now someone seems to be after your other MIT buddy."

Tony ignored her comments and saw Steve only smirk a little bit before following him to the stairwell. There was a strange rumble through the building and Steve said, "Are you sure Rowen is all that he seems?"

Tony frowned, "Look, I get it. Obi, Hammer, Killian, they're all people that turned on me, but Ro isn't like that. His research is in astro nuclear physics, the worst he's ever done is made a blackhole in his atom smasher."

There was quiet from his team for a moment before Bruce said, "And before you knew him?"

Tony had been nosy one time and tried to dig up Rowen's school records. He was impeccable, it just seemed odd that someone who was technically smarter than he was, was attending a normal regular high school. He asked him once and Rowen said, 'Dad and I had a falling out, and I was staying with some friends. I really wasn't ready to be on my own yet.'

Was this something his Dad was behind?

Tony didn't think so. Sure, Genichirou was the Japanese version of Howard Stark but slightly more eccentric. He didn't make weapons, instead specialized in aerodynamics and space flight technology. Unless, this was his father finally entering the field of weapons technology, there wasn't really much else it could be. They slammed through the roof exit, the moon was high in the night sky and Tony noticed he could see every star in existence but it was the being that stood in front of him that made him stop cold. Whatever it was, it wasn't a suit of mechanical armor. It looked like something he had seen out of a Japanese ink prints, with long spikes and sharp edges. It towered above all of them with thick plates of metal, that was mostly browns and greens, except for a few spots of crimson red. The helmet hid the bearer's face with something that looked like fanged snake mask, and he ha six long katanas, two on each hip and a pair on his back.

The armored being held Rowen up by the neck easily with one hand, and held an unsheathed sword in the other that dripped with a crimson liquid that burned the ground it dripped on. The armored being laughed as it turned its sharp eyes on them and then bellowed with even more maniacal laughter. Nat pulled out the pistol she always carried but it locked and jammed. Tony tried his wrist band to call Jarvis and the Iron Man suit, but there was only static as Steve yanked a pole free from the roof and threw it like Javelin. The being seemed surprised and jerked out of the way, giving Rowen an opportunity to break free. Tony gave up on calling the Iron Man suit and dashed to him, pulling him back, "Ro, you okay?"

"Daijobu," he answered that he was fine as he stumbled to his feet.

Tony looked up at the being, "Should I be concerned about copyright infringement?" 

"Not now!" Rowen hissed, Tony had a habit of being a jokster at the worst times. He saw Banner slowly slinking back into the stairwell, "Let's go before he makes our friend turn green!"

Tony nodded as he helped Rowen to follow after his team of warriors as the armored being yanked out the bar that was lodged between the plates, and laughed again. Steve followed behind them, jamming the door shut as he asked, "You wouldn't happen to know what that is, son?"

Rowen gasped for as they ran and decided a partial truth was better than trying to pretend he knew anything. He licked his lips, "His name is Sekhmet."

"Isn't that an Egyption God?" Clint asked glancing back as they burst through the first door onto the top floor.

Rowen wanted to laugh but coughed, "He's not the real deal though..."

The door burst open behind them and the armored being laughed once more, "I told you Tenku,that you were next..."

Rowen gulped as Tony sat him down an grabbed an oxygen tank from a cart, "Legolas!"

Clint threw a dagger from his belt at the tank just as approached the armored being and there was a loud pop. Steve could see Nat escorting Dr. Banner ahead of them without him saying anything, a code green would be the worst thing to happen in this situation. Although, they weren't off well themselves. Clint didn't have his bow and arrows, he didn't have the shield, and for whatever reason the Iron Man suit seemed to have failed to respond to Tony's signal. He couldn't speak for Clint on the subject of Clint not bringing said bow and arrows, but Steve was kicking himself for not being prepared by not bringing his shield along just in case. He heard the strange sound of chains, and Rowen yelled, "Get down!"

"Ko Rai Sei!"

The armored being shook free of the tank as all the windows in the ward broke open and a million chains burst through. Like pythons seeking prey, they wrapped the being up tight as he tried to fight back with the acid covered swords. Steve and Tony grabbed Rowen's arms as they followed Clint down an empty hall. Rowen scrambled into the empty room and rummaged through doors. Tony heard the clanking of another suit of armor and he turned away from Rowen as he pulled on a baggy sweater and tight jeans. Rowen walked out as the three saw the second armored being pass the hallway they were just down. This armor was big as well with muted browns and greys, with a terrifying red ogre like mask. This armor wore a brown and gold cloak over it, and in the bearers hands they twirled what looked like a sickle on a chain

Rowen pushed past the three, "Kay, stop! He's gone mad!"

The second being just smirked and headed forward out of sight with a subsequent shake. Rowen began to run forward but was forced to stop and gasped for air. Tony grabbed him by the arm and shoved him the other way, "What are you going to do?! You just had a heart attack! If those two want to play battle bots let them!"

Rowen cursed as he gasped again and he followed after them with Steve's help. Steve could see he was holding his chest, "Should we slow down?"

Rowen shook his head as Clint rummaged through a med cart and pulled out a bottle of nitroglycerin while saying, "Good explosive, and just in case he decides to flat line on us again."

The engineer looked at the physicist, he was as pale as his lab coat would be. Tony] helped Rowen along as he gasped for air, his lips were chapped and his skin as pale as the moonlight. They started down the stairs together, Clint behind them, Steve in front of them. Rowen's gasping growing raspier as they made it to the ground floor. Rowen managed to say, "I need to stop..."

Tony let him stop for a moment as the building rattled again. Rowen leaned on his knees and mumbled, "Kuso..."

Steve crossed his arms, "Should I ask again? I'm pretty sure I asked before, but what is going on?"

"Sekhmet is trying to kill me," Rowen managed to answer. He could tell the Captain was fairly irritated at how Rowen was stating the obvious.

"Great." Clint said. "So is he like a mad scientist or what? Because that EMP..."/

"That wasn't an EMP." Tony said. Rowen could hear the irritation in his voice too. "Was it?"

Rowen leaned against the cool wall and took several deep breaths of cool air before saying, "No, not an EMP. Those armors are not mechanical, they are something along the lines of what Thor's hammer is."

Tony asked a secondary question to his first, "And why did he call you Tenku?"

Rowen sighed, he didn't have time for long stories, and he said, "It's a long story, one that we don't have time for right now."

Clint felt the building shake again, "I agree that we shouldn't have story time just now, can we just get out of here like Nat and Banner did?"

Steve opened the door and looked around to make sure that they weren't going to be surprised. He really wished for his shield at a moment like this, but he was good either way. They slipped out, Rowen holding onto Tony again. He just felt so terribly weak, he knew now it wasn't a heart attack, it was something else. He hoped Cye was alright, but there was a strong likelihood he wasn't. They exited the emergency exit and saw Banner huddled down. Tony gulped, "Oh, shi..."

Rowen saw the man's shirt burst open and the flesh underneath turning a sickly mossy green. He had no idea how fast the transformation was, and to his surprise, all the muscles stretching and bones crunching only took moments. The 'Hulk' was gigantic beast of pure muscle from head to toe. He roared and Rowen could see why, strung up above him was Natasha, and above her standing in the moonlight was a spider like armor he knew too well. Tony looked at him, "There's more than two?"

"There's four." Rowen answered as Hulk leaped at the spider like armor.

"Koko Rou Ken Ankoku Cho Uhigri!"

A black bolt lightning hit the beast and sent him tumbling in front of them as bruised and broken Bruce Banner. Seeing the Hulk taken out of the fight so easily was a nasty shock for all of them, even for Rowen, who had also started to believe the Hulk was pretty much invincible. Clint helped Rowen up after quickly getting over said shock as the fourth armored being appeared, his armor was dark gray and black armor, with a long flowing red cape. There were claws on the right gauntlet and he carried a long blade in the other that danced with the dark electricity. He grinned, "Did you enjoy Suiko's death, Tenku? I made sure he suffered slowly for your sake."

Rowen held his chest, he could feel his breath growing heavy. He wanted to use Tenku, but it hadn't responded to him in years and even though he clutched it in his hand, it still didn't respond. He fell to his knees as an exhausted and dirty Bruce wearily said as he slowly got back up, "That's never happened before..."

Rowen growled, "Why in the world would you do such a thing! Last I checked, you all were on our side!"

The spider finally spoke as he jumped down next to the man with the long sword, "You may not know how yet, but you pose a significant danger."

"Ko Rai Sei!"

The ground split open in front of them as the chains separated them from the the two armored beings. The first armored being that had been on the roof was thrown in front of the the spider and land with a large crunch. The swords soon followed, causing a small explosion knocking all three back. Steve saw the figure who had wielded the chains cut Nat free and landed behind the three armored beings.

The spider got to his feet and said accusingly, "You're picking the wrong side!"

"Perhaps." Came a soft voice. "But perhaps you are being far too battle hungry..."

"Yes, well, next time I hope you choose the right one." he said and the three armored beings vanished. The webs and chains vanished and the hospital lights came back on. Tony jumped in surprise as the ambulance passed in front of them with its sirens on. Bruce looked around nervously, holding up his ripped up pants, as paramedics wheeled in patients.

Clint cracked a joke, "I don't like the Twilight Zone, just for future reference.

No one seemed to notice the giant armored being that set Natasha down. The instant the being did the armor began glow and Rowen realized that they were hurt. He got to his feet and caught Kayura as the armored vanished in soft spark of light. She smiled up at him with dark eyes just as she lost consciousness in his arms, "Daijoubu..."


End file.
